A child's Christmas in Wales

When Dorian invited me to stay at his cottages in Wales I couldn't wait.  In my life as an international promotions manager I visited countries around the world, continually on the road traveling with artists, in all those years I was hardly ever home in my London flat, I was in Japan, South America, Hungary, Mexico ... you name it, I went there. 

Two things happened as a result, when it finally stopped I wanted to be at home as much as possible and the thought of getting on an airplane was about as exciting as getting on a hopper bus. The second thing was a longing to explore the UK more. Also now bored to death of hotel rooms, I find myself a rather curmudgeonly guest if the service isn't brilliant and the decor is drab.

For me now the absolute ideal is to have a beautifully decorated, tastefully and sensitively adorned, home from home, why would I want to stay somewhere that wasn't as nice as my own house? Well, at times it's necessity so cost and surroundings reach a compromise, but then that is just a place to sleep. What I really yearn for is an experience. I want to be impressed, I want to be romanced by my surroundings. I want the possibility to explore a new area, to take photographs and be educated by the history, this to me is the only sort of 'holiday' that makes sense.  Hell for me would be to be on a sunbed in a resort full of English people. 

I knew, I just knew, that the Welsh House would be perfect, I could see that it ticked all the boxes and I wasn't wrong. I had the idea to do some Christmas styling so packed up a few decorations and off we trotted.  

I don't know a great deal about Dylan Thomas and this is something I intend to rectify, so when Dorian produced the most beautiful edition of "A child's Christmas in Wales" the last piece of the puzzle fell into place.  Influenced by that idea I bring you these photos and some quotes from Dylan Thomas 

I found some beautiful music to accompany this post ...

"One Christmas was so much like another, in those years around the sea-town corner now and out of all sound except the distant speaking of the voices I sometimes hear a moment before sleep, that I can never remember whether it snowed for six days and six nights when I was twelve or whether it snowed for twelve days and twelve nights when I was six ..."

one of my hand knitted socks, my favourite thing is to knit socks

"All the Christmases roll down toward the two-tongued sea, like a cold and headlong moon bundling down the sky that was our street; and they stop at the rim of the ice-edged, fish-freezing waves, and I plunge my hands in the snow and bring out whatever I can find"

don't forget to leave out mince pies and milk for Father Christmas

then off to bed you go and try to sleep

"Looking through my bedroom window, out into the moonlight and the unending smoke-colored snow, I could see the lights in the windows of all the other houses on our hill and hear the music rising from them up the long, steadily falling night. I turned the gas down, I got into bed. I said some words to the close and holy darkness, and then I slept."

“I think, that if I touched the earth,
It would crumble;
It is so sad and beautiful,
So tremulously like a dream.” 

And I rose
In rainy autumn
And walked abroad in a shower of all my days...”

outside the fairies live, dancing in the moss and lichen, vibrant greens and leaf strewn paths invite you to a magical world

There is magic inside this place, it feels other worldly. It is a place where your mind can be free to dream, like a child waiting for Santa.

I'm not going to write here about Dorian's work here because you should go for yourself, sit and read the cuttings from papers in his folders of information.  Photos from a re-enactment where dressed in traditional Welsh costume, Dorian and surrounding neighbours built a traditional house in one day.  It is a work of brilliance and no words or photos can do it full justice. 


Quotes by Dylan Thomas. Photos by Janice Issitt. Location - The Welsh House, blankets from Holy Cow Home 

Sisterhood and Mavens

There seems to be a spiritual consciousness in the ether this year, which for me comes at a really good time.  Never has it been easier to meet new people via social media and network with those sharing the same passions and interests.

I believe that women are really coming into their own in this regard, good at socialising and empathising there has never been a better time to find support from other women. Or so I thought.  

Perhaps it's because the changing times find us able to work on our own from home, using the web to connect, and creatives now have more platforms than ever to show their work, that a new generation and style of networking has begun.

Thanks to a few risk taking individuals, those not afraid to say 'hey lets get together", some of us are finding the support that we seriously need. At a time we really need it too.

I was going to talk about a bad experience I had on twitter, but I'm not giving that air time, they can sweat and wait to hear from my solicitor. But it does just go to show that social media is a double-edged sword and it's sharp so use it wisely.

Through this media I have met an enormous amount of great great women, all making a way in their businesses and looking to create opportunities and introductions to others, as together we are stronger.

The two saving graces for me most recently are called Conversational and Sisterhood, both of which have organised face to face events, on different scales, but just as fruitful in their outcomes.

Last weekend I attended one of the Sisterhood events - the winter supper which can be found on instagram with the hashtag #sisterhoodsupperwithtoast.

The event was visually stunning and with workshops which provided me with the chance to try modern calligraphy with Quill London. The venue has just opened and it's called The Forge Bristol. 

After the supper I drove on into Wales to The Welsh House group of cottages for a few days break without wifi or phone signals.  

I think we all need reminding of how life used to be, and how great it feels to try some slow living, simple pleasures.

This house has made me look at a few things differently, a great lesson in dealing with low light which is much needed as the days get darker and I only like to use natural light in photos.

The cottages have a weight, a gravitas to them, visually stunning inside and out, they must be the most beautiful places to stay in the whole of the UK, and trust me I've stayed in a lot of places.

The attention to authentic detail by owner Dorian is second to none, I am usually highly critical about other people's decorations but here I couldn't fault a single thing. In fact, I would happily buy the cottages with all the furniture in them as it was just perfect.

I have so many beautiful shots, I fell in love with the window ledges, is it possible to have a love affair with a window ledge? Perhaps because mine at home are so wimpy and rubbish in comparison. I want to knock the windows out and start again!

I will be talking about this trip quite a bit in the coming weeks and have put together Christmas styling ideas for a visual story illustrating A Child's Christmas In Wales.

The area in Carmarthenshire has stunning hills and valleys and very interesting historical sights, including woolen mills and cheese making. One trip which has been on my hit list for some years was to visit Jane Beck Welsh Blankets, an adorable shop in the middle of nowhere with the largest selection of vintage and new Welsh wool tapestry blankets. 

Jane Beck Welsh Blankets 

If I have enticed you to think about booking The Welsh House go to http://www.thewelshhouse.co.uk/ and see the choice of three cottages along with the history of how Dorian made a dream become reality by building and renovating.

I'm sure by the time you have seen all my photos you will be rushing to book a long weekend for yourself, they can also be found on Air bnb here.  You have a choice of three different style cottages and I will be featuring the two which are next to each other, Bryn Eglur and Ty Unnos.  I didn't get many outside shots of the house as the weather took a turn for the worse, however, I'm sure you will agree that these cottages are so cozy it hardly matters.

The word Maven came about from a meeting with Hayley who sells her own range of clothing and organised Conversational it means : A maven (also mavin) is a trusted expert in a particular field, who seeks to pass knowledge on to others. The word maven comes from Hebrew, meaning "one who understands", based on an accumulation of knowledge.

Be a MAVEN and not a TROLL ...

French Foraging on the English Coast

When I get a bee in my bonnet I really do go all out.  I have for some considerable time, wanted a very particular small leather club chair, it had to be the smaller version, a very particular shade of leather colour, with a shaped back and just the right amount of tatty.  Dated about 1920 to 1930 from France.  You can find many variations but the price is always, shall we say, reflective of the age and rarity. I've noticed that the good French antiques mostly come over with the dealers on the coast, namely from Brighton along to Margate, where they are then distributed to the rest of the UK, or even back to France as one dealer told me.

So I resigned myself to having to travel to pick it up and used that as an excuse to have a night away and a little explore along the beaches and cliffs. I really want to explore the UK more so plan to do a few travel blogs for anyone wanting a day or more nights trip.

the most interesting shop in the world, my friend Jane says so, it's in Rye

Last time we had a week exploring this area, in the summer, we stayed in hotels and honestly, they really weren't brilliant.  I chose the most reasonably priced so didn't expect the Ritz, however some basics were lacking, generally in the bathroom, room size and wifi departments. One bathroom was so small you had to squeeze along the side of the loo so that the door could close before you used it. The sink was designed for 'Barbies' house and it was impossible to get a cup under the tap such were the dimensions. Mostly one had to wander around, and end up sitting next to the receptionist to get any kind of wifi connection and one pub hotel in Lewes (not the cheapest either) had peeling paint on the walls, threadbare carpets and the worst tasting wine I've ever been overcharged for.

With this experience behind us I said to the other half, well let's try an Air bed and breakfast it can't be any worse and it's only for one night. 

Maybe it's because I'm listening to an audio book by Bill Bryson, that I thought I would blog about the trip. The book is the follow up to Notes From A Small Island. (I can't recommend these books enough, they really are riveting and his observations are so spot on it makes you want to cheer loudly). The most inspiring sort of travel writing you are ever likely to read. 

So in my Bill Bryson mode I thought I would talk a bit about this area's highs and lows.  In a nutshell, Rye is gorgeous, every nook and cranny seems to be picture perfect, although parking is a bummer. It has quirky right up to it's eyeballs, there's even a shop(pictured above) which doesn't seem to have a name, never has its front door open and everything inside seems to be sold. But, it's the most interesting thing you will ever stumble across.

Hastings has some cool streets and seems to be on the up but St. Leonards and down to Eastbourne have areas that really have seen better days and it would be so lovely if something could be done to make them great again. 

This I believe is the nature of seasonally visited tourist towns and it's a shame, but while the buildings are struggling to keep up to standard, the beaches, promenades and the NATURE is spectacular. The area of countryside just above that stretch of coast is beautiful too, particularly now in it's autumn glory.  My eyes have been over saturated with the orange and red tones of the trees as we meandered up and down winding roads from Fairlight to Battle.

The light was very strange, there was a red stripe on the horizon like the sun was setting, or rising, but it was the middle of the day, this added to the dramatic effect of a slightly blustery day on the English coast. It was beautiful and raw and so far removed metaphorically to the cafes and restaurants along its shore side. Get your kagool on and explore, find driftwood, interesting stones, watch seagulls and marvel, it's like standing on the edge of the world. Then you cross the road and back you are ...

Am I the only person who has a problem with UHT milk in those little plastic containers? Why? Why? oh Why? do we still have them. The milk tastes gross, theres never enough in one for a cup of coffee or tea, and the containers don't bio-degrade.  So what's with that, why can't the cafe owners buy a pint of milk and put it in a jug? is that really too much to ask for.  This little plastic pot is neither here nor there.  It's not old-fashioned or modern, it's stuck somewhere in another age of ignorance and sadly it is reflective of some of the establishments one encounters in coastal towns. The kind of places that still have flourescent strip lighting and menus harking back to the 1970's, when the only Italian food the English had heard of was Spaghetti Bolognese and Lasagna. 

We found a few of these, hiding in different guises, one Italian restaurant purporting to be of great quality by its reviewers, had the most un-appetising pasta range and the food, when served was luke warm. Sat next to the front door, I dined in my coat on tepid and very over priced food.  

The Air b'n'b I chose was a very large house one block behind one of the hotels we stayed in last time so felt that this would make a good comparison. I'm happy to say that my experience was good, the room was larger, the bathroom not bad and it had it's own kitchen so you could rustle yourself up anything from toast to a meal should you fancy. The wifi was very good in our room, so all round, considering it was about 20 pounds cheaper than the cheapest hotel, we were impressed with what we got for just under 50 pounds. 

I'm quite fussy about interior decoration and attention to detail so I won't talk about that as it's personal taste.  Also some things you just have to pay extra for, like plush en-suite bathrooms (with a bath not just a shower), but unless you are pushing the proverbial boat out for a special date, then the compromise is value for money.

And so the French chair, well that came from a man with an e-bay shop and website called The French Depot and they have a huge stock of large pieces of furniture, well worth a look.  We found a second chair, in need of a lot of repair and also brought that home too so I will be trying my hand and fixing it up over Christmas.

It's a shame that the English coast struggles out of season to provide eateries.  If you are a food lover stick to Rye rather than take a chance on a seafront diner which may leave you out of pocket and still hungry.  

If, like us, you are shopping for Antiques then you will not be disappointed.  I have ordered some leather chair repair products so that I can have a go at this kind of re-upholstering/repairing and I will do a blog about it with my findings. That may be helpful to you if your budget will only stretch to one in disarray. 

If you need a blast of fresh air then I highly recommend nipping along to this area of coastline.

Styling The Seasons - August

Funny old month eh? usual weird weather, hot then cold then rain then sunsets.  Still it doesn't stop us Brits getting out and about, we are made of stronger stuff.  Nothing is going to scupper our holiday plans.

As per usual, I try to make my birthday celebrations last as long as possible, every year I use it as an excuse to spend loads on trips away and presents for me and home. 

Since loosing my parents I've taken it upon myself to take control and mostly I do stuff as a distraction to the fact that they aren't around to spoil me anymore. I'm very spontaneous these days so our trip to the coast was rather last minute. Having now also been reminded how quick and easy it is to fly to Amsterdam, this too is something I need to do more often.

My styling the seasons this month is to feature all my new purchases from the UK and Amsterdam, combining the finds from The Firle Vintage Fair, various shops around Hastings like Butlers Emporium and the enormous flea market in Amsterdam.

My photos are a reflection of the different moods that this August has provided us with, dark and light.

Almost autumnal in parts.  Above is a lovely vintage picture from the East Sussex Firle Vintage Fair held in the grounds of Firle place. I thought it had overtones of being Chinese and put me in the mind set of things from the Orient, Im definitely on a trip with Japan and China at the  moment, this was to come to a head in Amsterdam, when my host showed me her Japanese textile collection.

The cone of wool was from the flea market in Amsterdam and I will use it in weaving, I couldn't help popping those feathers in the top. They are from Eagle Owls and Hawks. Im going to hang them from the wall hanging I think. 

Above here, in a more pastel mood are two more purchases from Firle, the blue glass 'milk of magnesia' bottle and the green glass dish with lid.  The tray was also from there and has mother of pearl set in with bright reds and greens.  Look out for that tray again in photos as I haven't featured its full glory yet. The flask was from the Amsterdam flea and was only 5 euros. I photographed these against my work area cupboards which Ive painted in Annie Sloan Chalk Paint, mixing up green and white and grey.

The book above is clearly from Holland, its about house plants and the pictures inside I think are cards stuck in from tea or cigarette packets maybe. This again is sure to feature in future so that I can show you the inside. I may need help with translation but Im sure that my Urban Jungle Blogger friends will help if need be. The wooden spoon is the best priced hand carved spoon Ive yet to find and this was from Butlers in Hastings.

The highlight of my trip to the coast was to meet up with Jeska and Dean from the online store The Future Kept. I'd arranged to collect my little hand thrown ceramic mug from them (above). They sell out of these super fast so you may need to message them.  

And my  last picture is the fruits from my trees. The apple and plum trees were already in the garden at our house when we bought it. We struggle to make use of the fruit, Ive tried cider, chutney, jam .. you name it. But this year we are on our Nutribullet diet so this lot will end up in the juicer.  I photographed them on the dark wall with rust and galvanised iron because I thought the colours of the fruits shone out more this way. Its a good example of how to work with a dark wall, using natural bright pops like apple green. The colours in the plums are so beautiful a perfect example of how to mix shades of pink and green.

Lots of my friends, along with myself, have been nominated in different categories in the Amara Interior Blog Awards so please do look out for Lobster & Swan, A Quiet Style, Capture by Lucy, The Cabinet Makers Lovetale, At Mine, Apartment Apothecary, Breath Happiness, Make, Joelix, Happy Interior, Lotts & Lots,  oh and so many other great ones, Ive mentioned just a few of the 589 blogs nominated just to help you maybe find some new ones. 

If you have a look on the right hand side of this blog you can click on the Amara IBA15 badge and it will take you straight to the voting page for me.  I would love to be shortlisted. 

Thanks for reading as usual, see you next week. 

Turning Japanese in Amsterdam

This blog is being brought to you by the letter R and the colour Indigo.

Hi everyone, Ive just got back from Amsterdam after a flying visit to see my friend and to get a tattoo from Salon Serpent. These world famous tattooists, headed up by Angelique are in a cool area called Jacob Van Lennepstraat in Amsterdam Oud West. If you are in the area and looking for food head to De Hallen, an old factory with an enormous food hall housing a multitude of restaurants.

My friend Rosey has lived in Amsterdam for many years on and off, and although she is British she grew up in Japan because her father worked there. This lovely lady who works in fashion, is a leading expert on all things Denim but also has a hobby where she collects vintage Japanese textiles called Boro and has learnt to dye and create Shibori work.  After hearing all about it Im hoping to find a course to go on myself, although it won't be quite the same as the one Rosey went to in Japan for ten days with a world expert.

Rosey lives in a little house in Amsterdam in the old diamond quarter "Diamantbuurt" just of Van Woustraat. The old gem factory is surrounded by streets named after precious stones full of cute houses which were for the factory workers. Despite being an old building on the outside, Rosey has styled the inside with her passions for art, textiles and retro furniture.

We had a good look around a few areas outside of the centre, these being more interesting now they are gentrified. I noticed that theres a great love of house plants in this city and many cool house -plant shops and florists. 

I can see where Judith from Urban Jungle Bloggers got her passion for house plants when you see shops like these.

We also visited an enormous flea market (IJ-Hallen) which is once a month over on the island area called NDSM.NL where the famous Botel (boat hotel) is moored and the restaurants are in old shipping containers, like the one called Pllek.

If you don't drive under the water to get there then you can get the ferry from just behind grand central station. Its a free ferry that takes you to a post apocalyptic world of old abandoned boats and docks with innovative buildings and art/street culture.

And now onto all things Indigo ...

To start with lets me just say what Indigo is. Well, its a plant and a natural dye comes from it. Many countries grow it in abundance particularly Japan, India and Africa. 

When choosing your fabric for dyeing its best to go for natural fibre and boil wash it to remove any chemicals that may barrier against the dye.

The best results are achieved with a large vat, say 9 litres. Obviously natural indigo is the best but synthetic will be the most easily available. The water should be free of chemicals so try to collect rain water for it. Add lime (garden suppliers do this) and the water has to reach a ph of 11.5 so test it with litmus.

Dissolve the Indigo powder in hot water and add it to the vat.  Then add hydro sulphate to remove the oxygen (this goes off quickly so just get little bags). 

Now about adding your design or pattern to the fabric. The technique of Shibori is about sewing through pleated fabric, then the thread pulled tight to create areas of resistance where the dye can't reach. The stitch used is Sashiko, a running stitch.  You can find the patterns for this on the net or from books. 

Another way to create patterns is Katsomi - stencilling. Cut a stencil on special paper, then a muslin is glued over that.  Squeeze the mochi paste through the stencil holes, there are different techniques for this, and most definitely something you need to learn in the flesh.  Alternatively you can draw with the paste using something akin to a piping bag like you are icing a cake. 

Rosey can recommend a few good teachers, there is Bryan Whitehead a Canadian living in Japan, he runs ten day courses like the one Rosey went on. He works in the Fujino area outside Tokyo.  This course is considered very intensive. Bryan grows his own Indigo so you would get the real deal training from him.  

Also there is Clarissa Cochran in Saffron Walden who does simpler half day or weekend courses and Jane Calender whose company Callishibori do courses and supplies.

I really have over simplified here but hope it gives you a flavour for Shibori.

Also in Rosey's collection is something called Boro.  Literally meaning 'ragged', boro is patchworked indigo fabrics on old garments and blankets. Much like the idea of Kantha quilts, the Japanese do not waste anything, so repairing and patchworking holes was part of their ethos.

Below is a sample book of Indigo dyed fabrics, a very old book that was found in a Temple market.

 This is how the book looks from the outside, in the background is a piece of Boro fabric. Due to their age and fragility Boro folk art textiles sell for large sums of money, one well known dealer is called Kimonoboy who specialises in this area.

this is a little rice bag made of patchwork, worn round the waste when workers are in the rice fields

I hope you found this post informative and inspirational, perhaps you will get the bug to hop across to Amsterdam and go off the beaten track a bit too.